


No Ghosts

by sanctuary_for_all



Series: Partners [35]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Tag, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-04
Updated: 2016-10-04
Packaged: 2018-08-19 12:04:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8206636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctuary_for_all/pseuds/sanctuary_for_all
Summary: Steve was brooding too much to be able to properly enjoy his fish and chips. That, Danny decided, was unacceptable. ***End scene/spoilers for 7X02***





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sure there are already 50,000 pub fic out there after 7X02, which is why I wasn't going to write this one. But I'm weak. I'm sorry.

Honestly, Danny had expected more ghosts at the pub.

Not actual ghosts, of course, though if there was anyone who could manage to accidentally piss off the undead it would be Steve McGarrett, the love of Danny’s life and his current fish and chips companion. But Danny had made some significant memories here, or at least memories that were significant at the time, and though he didn’t want that time back he thought it would take at least take a moment for him to shake them away.

But there was only now, the weight of the medal hanging around his neck – “The _Queen_ gave it to me, Steven, it would be rude not to wear it” – the tang of the vinegar Steve had polluted his chips with – “They can’t be that bad if you keep stealing them, Danny” – and the faint shadows lurking behind his eyes. Only Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett would meet the _Queen of England_ and then promptly go off and brood.

Because the shadows were the only aspect of all of this he didn’t approve of, he jabbed a chip in Steve’s direction with a mock stern expression. “If you’re thinking about the serial killer case we have waiting for us back home, Steven, rest assured I will buy us another big, frothing pint of beer just to dump it over your head.” His foot, not on board with the chiding, continued to trace back and forth along Steve’s ankle. “Our children are fine, you are eating fantastic food despite the fact that you poured vinegar all over it, and I’m expecting some proper hero sex the moment we get back to a bed. Serial killers can wait.”

Steve’s lips curved. “You’ve _always_ been getting hero sex.” Now it was Steve’s foot that trailed upward along Danny’s leg.

“Hush. And don’t try to distract me from arguing you back into better mental health.” Danny wagged the chip at him now. "What you're _supposed_ to be distracting me from is any potentially sad memories, mostly by reminding me of how unexpectedly fantastic my life is now. You should be focusing on more important things, like admitting how right I was about the fish and chips here, not brooding about terrible people.”

“I will say that you were maybe, possibly, not wrong about that.” Then he sighed, expression sobering. “I’m sorry I’m brooding. I promise I wasn’t thinking about the case.”

The words sounded unexpectedly serious, and Danny’s voice gentled. “As pleasantly surprised as I am by that fact, there’s still something that’s making you sad.”

Steve lifted his eyes to meet Danny’s again, his face open and vulnerable in a way that made Danny’s chest hurt. “Don’t die,” he said softly, giving Danny that look that always made it seem like he was staring at the most important thing in the world. As if Danny – or Grace or Brandon, who Steve sometimes looked at exactly the same way – _was_ his world.

Understanding hit Danny, making his heart twist. “I’m not planning on it,” he murmured, linking his fingers with Steve’s. “I knew leaving you to hang out at a tragic graveside visit was a bad idea.”

“I thought I was used to them.” He tightened his fingers around Danny’s. “But if it was you... I don’t think I’d handle it as well as Harry did.” He paused, then shook his head. “I definitely wouldn’t.”

Danny let out a breath. The hell of it was, understood exactly what Steve was talking about. “That’s kind of a terrifying sentence, babe.”

“I know.” He smiled a little at that, a ray of light breaking through the clouds. “Don’t die, and we won’t have to worry about it.”

“Okay.” Danny’s voice was rough as he squeezed Steve’s hand. “Same to you, you know.”

Steve’s smile widened. “Of course.”

They watched each other a moment in the silence, heavy with the weight of a thousand things neither of them had to say out loud. Then Steve picked up the vinegar bottle, a wicked light coming into his eye.

Danny grabbed it, trying to angle the tip back towards Steve. “Don’t even think about tainting my fish and chips with that nonsense, you neand—“

In the end, they ended up getting kicked out of the pub – apparently, the management frowned on vinegar fights. As memories went, though, it made him smile for years.

**Author's Note:**

> Come check out my new original fiction on my [blog](http://jennifferwardell.blogspot.com) or say hi to me on [Tumblr](http://sanctuaryforalluniverses.tumblr.com)


End file.
